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Zahi's Journey to Jedi Master


Zahirah

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Intro: Teacher by day, Jedi in training by night. I live in Japan. I love my job and the opportunities afforded me by living where I do.

I am not in the worst shape in the world (can run a slow 10k and have some beginner experience in weight training), but I have never been an athlete. Over the years I have worked primarily on my INT with less attention to the physical side of things, and am finally at a point where I feel I am ready to change my focus. I have also had 3 knee surgeries and numerous lower body injuries over the years, so I really want to work towards improving my strength in order to prevent further injury.

One of my biggest obstacles to reaching my goal of finally becoming an "athlete" is my lack of consistency which becomes increasingly difficult the colder it gets. Originally hailing from warmer climes, my body shuts down in the cold and I have a hard time staying consistent.

Winter is coming, yo. Which is why I'm here.

Main Quest: Establish and maintain a consistent health and wellness regimen with a focus on losing fat and gaining muscle.
Quest #1: Intentional physical activity 6 days/week for at least one hour. Three of these days should be weight training at the gym.

A=6 weeks (+2 STR, +2 STA)
B=5 weeks (+2 STR, +1 STA)
C=4 weeks (+1 STR, +1 STA)

I need to set the bar high for this because of winter. This is the hardest time of year for me and I absolutely have to stay consistent somehow.

 

Insurance - In case of sickness or injury, time reduces to 30 minutes and weight training is optional.

 

Quest #2: Sleep at least 7 hours/night.

A=42 nights (+2 CON, +2 STA)
B=36 nights (+2 CON, +1 STA)
C=30 nights (+1 WIS, +1 STA)

I have realized recently that I am a completely different person even with one night a week at less than 7 hours.

Quest #3: No more than 3 alcoholic drinks/week.

A= 6 weeks (+2 STA, +1 CON, +1 CHA)
B= 5 weeks (+1 STA, +1 CON, +1 CHA)
C= 4 weeks (+1 WIS, +1 STA)
D= 3 weeks (+1 WIS)
F= 2 weeks

Alcohol is ubiquitous in most aspects of life in Japan, so this is going to be particularly difficult. But, everything else falls apart when I drink too much so it has to happen.

Life Quest: Create and stick to a sustainable budget.

Reward: WIS +3. Failure to stick to the budget results in no stats awarded.

What can I do to make all of this happen?

Shit tons of planning. I love planning. I would be lost without my planner. Planning. God, planning!

(P.S. I curse a lot).

  • Like 4
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Hehehe, I curse a lot too!  Luckily we don't mind too much here ;)
 

You might notice that someone has added a tag to your post.  This is not to box you into a corner but rather because your goals or lifestyle have links to the guild you've been tagged and we'd like to bring you to the attention of one of their guild ambassadors. These ambassadors will be able to offer you advice, encouragement and support on your goals.  You don't even have to wait around for them to come introduce themselves to you, you are more than welcome to pop into the Adventurers' board and introduce yourself to the guildies there. I am also around to answer any questions that you might have so do not hesitate to PM me.

 

Good Luck with your challenge

AB xx

  • Like 1

Half Faerie (Sidhe) Scout | Black Belt Kitchen Ninja
"A positive attitude will not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort" - Herm Albright
You're welcome to skype me (audriwolf) too but let me know who you are

My challenge

 

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Wow, work out 6 x 1 hour per week? That's quite a lot. Have you tried such a training volume before?

 

Actually, yes! :D  I have slowly built up to a point where this frequency is absolutely doable for me.  The primary issue is that I have a tendency to get "too" busy with other obligations, and it's time I start making fitness my primary focus.

 

Hello from another person living and working in Japan! ^^

 

Good luck with your challenge! :D

 

Yay!  Thank you!  I am in Hiroshima- where abouts in Japan are you located?

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I really like your Quests! The part about sleeping at least 7 hours would be perfect for my next challenge. I really struggle with that as well and it makes such a big difference when you have enough sleep..

I will follow your Challenge, and I wish you good luck! Lets do this!

 

And indeed, Winter is coming :P

c5e3d6ff1d56.gif

  • Like 1

Beren Calanor

Human Ranger - Level 1

STR 1,5|DEX 0,75|CON 2|STA 1,5|WIS 2|CHA 1

Challenge: 1 2

Character

 

:ph34r:"I have heard it from the mouths of the Edema Ruh, so I know it to be true." :ph34r:

 

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Welcome fellow Jedi! 

 

Your goals look awesome, I'm excited to see you progress :)

 

May the Force Be With you!!

  • Like 1

Grey Jedi Ranger

Jedi's Hero Journey Pt. II: Habit Swapping

Jedi Battle Log

“Keep Calm, Carry On, and Don't Freeze Up!”

- Oboro Shirakumo (Loud Cloud), My Hero Academia Vigilantes

Challenges: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10#11#12#13#14#15#16, #17#18#19#20#21#22#23#24#25#26#27#28#29#30#31#32#33,  #34#35#36#37#38#39#40#41#42#43#44, #45#46#47#48#49#50#51#52#53#54#55

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I did a little stalking of your profile and noticed your soul pokemon is Dragonair. We must be friends.

Let's be friends :)

I love dragonair! I've got one on XY and she's my baby <3 shiny, 6iv, ev trained, level 100 ^_^

I've also got a couple varieties of dragonair cards and a dragonair paper art thing!

Sent from my phone so please excuse the autocorrect errors

  • Like 1

Grey Jedi Ranger

Jedi's Hero Journey Pt. II: Habit Swapping

Jedi Battle Log

“Keep Calm, Carry On, and Don't Freeze Up!”

- Oboro Shirakumo (Loud Cloud), My Hero Academia Vigilantes

Challenges: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10#11#12#13#14#15#16, #17#18#19#20#21#22#23#24#25#26#27#28#29#30#31#32#33,  #34#35#36#37#38#39#40#41#42#43#44, #45#46#47#48#49#50#51#52#53#54#55

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I love goals two and three, and the planning! Following along if you don't mind :)

  • Like 1

Level 0 Faun Adventurer

"It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." - Dumbledore

STR: 0 | DEX: 0 | STA: 0 | CON: 0 | WIS: 0 | CHA: 0

Intro | Battle Log1st 6wc

 

Weight Loss Goal - Starting Weight: 124kg, Goal: 73kg, Weight Loss Required: 51kg total

16.6%
16.6%

 

Healthy Meals Repertoire - Stage 1, Learn 28 meals

35.7%
35.7%
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So I did a run through workout outside in the cold today (low to mid 50s) to see how my body would react since the temps recently dipped pretty significantly. Last year around this time I had to stop exercising outside (thus less exercise in general) because my joints and muscles would be in so much pain afterwards from the cold. I realized this year I needed to really prepare and plan a LOT more in advance. Bought a lot more cold weather workout clothing, and my routine, though significantly longer in terms of time, is including a lot of proper warm-up, cool down, and stretching. And a lot of time underneath my kotatsu before I do my warm-up inside @_@

I am really pleased to say that I am feeling pretty good after todays workout, and hoping that as the temps continue to dip with the start of this challenge, I will still be able to keep it up. Though, thank god for my massage appointment tonight.

On another note-

I really...REALLY need someone to tell me that it is OK for me to focus solely on my fitness goals with %110 effort. I know that sounds weird, but in terms of my personal development, I have always focused on my academics and my career. I have always measured my success based on my intelligence and career accomplishments, so staying focused on the fitness was always challenging.

I am at a point now where I have a steady job that I love and live very comfortably- and this arrangement can last another three years, so it is very secure for the moment. As a result, I think it's time for me to change my focus to my health and fitness. But, there is that Type A part of me that keeps saying No, you have to keep going to school, you have to keep building and improving your resume, you have to keep working on your professional development.

And it makes me doubt my decision sometimes.

And seriously...I miss playing video games. All I want to do now is just physically become a badass, and play video games and read books all the time, and relax and enjoy the process...

And I need someone to tell me that's OK, and that it's OK for the professional shit to wait for a little while.

  • Like 2
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I totally understand that type A drive - I'm battling with it myself about having down time - my brain screams at me that "I should be doing something useful", to which I am firmly replying that I promised my psychologist I'd stop having "shoulds" and relaxation is important to performance. Similarly, fitness is really important to performance too. If you feel good, you do better. Google did a study and worked out their employees were 8 times more productive when they were happy - well, I'm betting the statistic is somewhere up there with feeling good.

 

So, from me - it's OK to focus on your fitness goals 110%. It's better than OK. It's fantastic! You owe it to yourself, and you're going to do amazing.

Level 0 Faun Adventurer

"It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." - Dumbledore

STR: 0 | DEX: 0 | STA: 0 | CON: 0 | WIS: 0 | CHA: 0

Intro | Battle Log1st 6wc

 

Weight Loss Goal - Starting Weight: 124kg, Goal: 73kg, Weight Loss Required: 51kg total

16.6%
16.6%

 

Healthy Meals Repertoire - Stage 1, Learn 28 meals

35.7%
35.7%
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Having a strong mind and great career is good. But if you can't take advantage of it because of health reasons what good is it? I really wish I would have paid more attention to a healthy body in my 30's. I went from athletic and,energetic in my 20's, then was so career oriented late 20's and 30's that when 40 hit my body wasn't,ready for age changes. Everything is much harder and all that working has taken a toll on my body and mind. Just my thoughts.

  • Like 1

Level 36 Ranger Sorcerer 

 

Current challenge 

 

 

 

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Man the first few days of the challenge have been rough.  I have been so busy because of a specific obligation that I have been dealing with for the past few days that I haven't been able to work out at all, I have been eating like crap, I've already hit my drink quota for the week, and am exhausted even though it is only Wednesday.

 

I am burnt. Out. And I still have to entertain for another obligation this weekend.

 

I know that when I start worying more about my obligations to others more than taking care of myself, I get burnt out really easily and can't keep up with my goals.  It just so happens this week is something I just can't really get out of.

 

Really hoping that it's smoother sailing from here on out.  I really need a workout.

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I get that. Hang in there. Like a wise person said to me recently "a smooth sea never made a skilful mariner". Don't forget to take some time for you in your sea of commitments too yeah?

  • Like 1

Level 0 Faun Adventurer

"It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." - Dumbledore

STR: 0 | DEX: 0 | STA: 0 | CON: 0 | WIS: 0 | CHA: 0

Intro | Battle Log1st 6wc

 

Weight Loss Goal - Starting Weight: 124kg, Goal: 73kg, Weight Loss Required: 51kg total

16.6%
16.6%

 

Healthy Meals Repertoire - Stage 1, Learn 28 meals

35.7%
35.7%
Link to comment

You are totally right.  Growing up by the water, I love that quote!

 

I have been really good recently about taking care of myself up until now.  I guess it is just frustrating that all of this is happening right at the beginning of the challenge.

 

You know though, I feel like I need to write that quote somewhere where I can see it easily and often.  Thank you :D

  • Like 1
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Posting my Week 1 Mini Challenge here for future reference-

_______________________________________________________

 

Is your overall quest achievable (over a short or long period of time)? Is it reasonable?

 

My quest to establish and maintain a consistent health and wellness regimen with a focus on losing fat and gaining muscle is absolutely achievable, and reasonable over time.  However, I need to be patient and forgiving with myself when I am not as consistent as I would like to be.

 

Do your 3 quests all build towards your main quest in little ways, or are you taking on too much? Do your quests have sub-quests or is it just one thing to focus on?

 

Quest #1: Workout 6 days/week for at least one hour for each workout. Three of these days should be weight training at the gym.

Quest #2: Sleep at least 7 hours/night.

Quest #3: No more than 3 alcoholic drinks/week.

 

All three of the above quests focus on different aspects of maintaining consistency in my health and wellness regimen.  Focus on weight training and drinking less in particular will assist in losing fat and gaining muscle.

 

Are your main goals realistic? Can you scale them to smaller steps to fit your life better, even if it will make it take a little longer to achieve them?

 

I think that Quest #1 is realistic in terms of my ability, but not always in terms of my schedule.  I also may need to consider a differnt method of assessment, or adjust the criteria to "intentional physical activity" as opposed to working out, since some of my busy days may include a shit ton of walking.

 

Are your goals able to be measured and tracked? What will you use to track them?

 

I use my planner to track overall completion of each of my quests per day and week.  For tracking my workout specifically, I use the Body Space app for my weight lifting and RunKeeper for my other workouts (running, hiking, yoga, pilates, etc.)

 

How are you grading your goals? Are they pass/fail (“every dayâ€, “not even once over the six weeksâ€)? Is there a reward for the effort, or are you only grading yourself on whether or not you “lose the weight†or “run the distanceâ€?

 

I am currently using a letter grading scale based on how many days I complete Quests #1 and #2, and how many drinks I have per week for Question #3.

I am considering adjusting my assement to two other options: a range of days rather than a set amount (for example instead of A= workout for 36 days total, A= workout for 31-36 days total), or success per week (6 days of working out for all 6 weeks= A, 6 days of working out for 5 weeks= B, etc.).

 

 

What is your plan for continuing/altering/grading those goals if you become ill or injured?

 

Quest #2 (sleep) and Quest #3 (alcohol) should not be affected by illness or injury, however I will need to craft an insurance policy for Quest #1 in case. I think that again, changing the expectation of "workout" to "intentional physical activity" can potentially help with this as even gentle physical activity like stretching can be done when sick or injured. What's important to me is establishing the habit of being consistent, regardless of how intense the activity is.

 

Did you take into consideration any special occasions (Labour Day, Independence Day, birthdays, anniversaries, etc) that may occur during the challenge? What modifications do you need to build into your goals for those?

 

I did consider holidays, but I need to be more realistic about considering the obligations I choose to take on.

 

Do any of your main goals conflict with each other? Will one goal make it hard to do another?

 

All three of my main quests compliment each other.  Less alcohol= more sleep; more sleep= more energy; more energy= more physical activity.

 

Do you already have the time in your schedule to actually complete the goals you’ve set? If not, what are you planning to do to make time for them?

 

Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't.  I need to be more realistic about my expectations for this.

 

Are you trying to build multiple habits, or is all your energy focused on your main quest?

 

I believe that all three habits of working out, getting a full nights sleep, and drinking less consistently, contribute to my overall goal very well.

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Man the first few days of the challenge have been rough.  I have been so busy because of a specific obligation that I have been dealing with for the past few days that I haven't been able to work out at all, I have been eating like crap, I've already hit my drink quota for the week, and am exhausted even though it is only Wednesday.

 

I am burnt. Out. And I still have to entertain for another obligation this weekend.

 

I know that when I start worying more about my obligations to others more than taking care of myself, I get burnt out really easily and can't keep up with my goals.  It just so happens this week is something I just can't really get out of.

 

Really hoping that it's smoother sailing from here on out.  I really need a workout.

Poppin' in to see how your quest is going. I just wanted to say that it is ok to fail and not meet your own goal to be perfectly on track.

I used to have this all or nothing mindset: I either do it perfectly or don't bother at all. Anything in between would be failure. Of course, that's not true! The fact that you have set your mind on becoming a better version of yourself and are taking steps to do so is absolutely incredible.

And recently I've found this novel concept of doing what I can if I'm not able to do it all. So maybe just focus on at least getting your zzzzzs?

I hope things settle down soon!

  • Like 2

Recruit | White Witch | Challenge


 


Skill set


magic brews, power of persuasion, empathy


 


Weaknesses


scars from the past


 


Goal


to perfect my skills & to negate my weaknesses


 


________________________________


Nothing worth fighting for is going to be easy. 


Pick your battles: not every battle is worth fighting, 

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I did a little stalking of your profile and noticed your soul pokemon is Dragonair.  We must be friends.

 

I love dragonair!!!! I just started playing pokemon X so I'm excited for the new graphics, but I'll always love the original 151 the most :) Having more pokemon names than I can remember is a little overwhelming haha... I can never catch them all O.o

  • Like 2

AllieTbo

Level 0 Half-Elf

My Current Challenge

STR:0 | DEX:0 | STA:0 | CON:0 | WIS:0 | CHA:0

 

Go from 150lbs to 120lbs 

5%
; background-image: -webkit-gradient(linear, 0 0, 100% 100%, color-stop(.25, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2)), color-stop(.25, transparent), color-stop(.5, transparent), color-stop(.5, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2)), color-stop(.75, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2)), color-stop(.75, transparent), to(transparent) ); background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient( -45deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent ); background-image: -moz-linear-gradient( -45deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent ); background-image: -ms-linear-gradient( -45deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent ); background-image: -o-linear-gradient( -45deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent ); -webkit-background-size: 23px 23px; -moz-background-size: 23px 23px; background-size: 23px 23px; border-radius: 4px;">5%

Current: 148.5 lbs

 

Work out 25 times during challenge 

5%
01DFD7; background-image: -webkit-gradient(linear, 0 0, 100% 100%, color-stop(.25, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2)), color-stop(.25, transparent), color-stop(.5, transparent), color-stop(.5, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2)), color-stop(.75, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2)), color-stop(.75, transparent), to(transparent) ); background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient( -45deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent ); background-image: -moz-linear-gradient( -45deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent ); background-image: -ms-linear-gradient( -45deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent ); background-image: -o-linear-gradient( -45deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent ); -webkit-background-size: 23px 23px; -moz-background-size: 23px 23px; background-size: 23px 23px; border-radius: 4px;">5%

 

Update battle log daily

14%
; background-image: -webkit-gradient(linear, 0 0, 100% 100%, color-stop(.25, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2)), color-stop(.25, transparent), color-stop(.5, transparent), color-stop(.5, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2)), color-stop(.75, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2)), color-stop(.75, transparent), to(transparent) ); background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient( -45deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent ); background-image: -moz-linear-gradient( -45deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent ); background-image: -ms-linear-gradient( -45deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent ); background-image: -o-linear-gradient( -45deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, .2) 75%, transparent 75%, transparent ); -webkit-background-size: 23px 23px; -moz-background-size: 23px 23px; background-size: 23px 23px; border-radius: 4px;">14%
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I love dragonair!!!! I just started playing pokemon X so I'm excited for the new graphics, but I'll always love the original 151 the most :) Having more pokemon names than I can remember is a little overwhelming haha... I can never catch them all O.o

 

Seriously, in my mind there are 151 Pokemon.  I don't even know how many there are these days, how do kids keep up with them all?!

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Jeah, and some of the new pokemon are just hilarious.

Another options for your workouts could be to not aim for one hour. Have you tried out darebee? They have good body weight exercises, that can be done in 20 mintes. Perhaps it's easier to fit in 20 minutes on six days a week. And for bodyweight exercises you don't need equipment.

http://darebee.com/workouts.html

level 12 Hobbit Monk (respawned September 2016)
STR 4 | DEX 15 | CON 16 | STA 15 | WIS 33 | CHA 24 | Halfling | Newbie | Fencer and Bookworm

Introduction | Character | Daily Battle Log | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 67 | 8 | | 10 | 11 | 12# | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | #### | 17 | Current Challenge

Spoiler

 I'm exercising, because I want to get my stamina and strength. I enjoy medieevil swordmanship,  Tai Chi, yoga, aikido and fire spinning. I'm also a roleplaying nerd and a book worm. Let's fight the procrastination dragon!

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Hope you're doing well, Zahirah!

Maybe there are around 600ish Pokemon now! The wall posters must be nuuuuuts. :P

*・゜゚・*:.。..。.:*・'(*゚▽゚*)'・*:.。. .。.:*・゜゚・*

Through victory, my chains are broken.
The Force shall free me.

 

Half Elf, Adventurer

Level 0

STR:0    DEX:0    STA:0    CON:0    WIS:0   CHA:0

 

Lose 10kg! 70kg > 60kg

11%
11%

 

 

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